Personally, I like to seek debt from small local credit union and banks, aka portfolio lenders.

I am retired military I will check with USAA!

Still, not knowing where you are going is tough.For military folks, eventually they usually decide on a hub where they want to plant roots (usually when kids are closer to school age) and then the hub stays and the party in the military comes back to the hub.You have the VA benefits and they are great.

My house is near a military base and hospital, but it's 3 bedrooms and most people who do well on FF have a studio or 1 bedroom.

Start with a local credit union and see what they say?

I’m active duty military originally from Alabama, currently living in Maryland.

Lake Maxincuckee (Culver Military Academy) is also a sneaky good option.

Let me explain to you why I chose CA as well as my goals and strategy.For starters, I'm active duty military, and this has given me access to a VA home loan which gives me better leverage to easily purchase a property with zero down.

Can anyone recommend the best places to learn about tax deed investing in NC, particularly in Union County and Cabarrus County (near the Charlotte area)?

A quick Internet search of "Costa Rica Mortgage Loans" turned up a couple of brokers and private equity offerings.You could also try to get the seller to finance part of the purchase price.Or borrow it from your 401K, if you have one.Depending on your credit score, it might also be worth looking at rates from a local credit union, bank, or even Prosper or Lending Club for a personal loan rather than a real-estate secured loan.